Halcyon Days
by Stratagem
Summary: Altea is celebrating the creation of Voltron, and as usual, Coran is busy tracking down one missing princess. Pre-Voltron.


Disclaimer: I don't own VLD!

A/N: I've been having a lot of feels for Coran and Allura lately, mainly because omg-they-lost-their-entire-planet-and-everyone-they-knew and how terrible that must feel. I would not handle it as well as they do. So I just wanted to give a quick glimpse into a happier moment that happened a very long time ago. Also, I thought that maybe the Alteans and other people who Voltron used to protect would have a Voltron celebration. This is also a bit of a Voltron birthquintant celebration since the show is a year old!

Halcyon Day

The castle was bustling with people from a hundred different alien races, all of them gathered together to celebrate when Voltron was first formed. Music poured through the halls, mixing and melding with the laughter and chatter of the masses. Banners and streamers waved from where they had been pinned to the stationary ship, and each of the towers were lit up with their lion's respective color.

Moving expertly though it all was one particular retainer of the royal family who had a very important mission. Violet eyes jumped from face to face as he sought his quarry. A pack of children racing by caught his attention, but the one he was looking for wasn't in attendance.

"Coran! Come here and enjoy a drink with us, you old rompadger!"

He turned around and waved to a friend who was already three cups into a barrel of nunvill. "Soon, Reaf. I'm performing a court duty."

"Good luck!"

Coran didn't bother asking him to refrain from drinking the entire barrel, seeing how Reaf would forget anyways and there were plenty of other barrels of the delicious drink available.

Spotting another court attendant, he hurried over to her, scooting between two furry Obloads and stepping skillfully around a rather pointy Eajs-s. "Ettana, have you seen the princess?"

Ettana shoved an armful of juniberry flowers into his arms and then plopped a juniberry and euris blossom crown on his head. "No! And I'm off duty, my dear! Not my problem." She kissed his cheeks, one side then the other, and threw her hands up into the air, sashaying away from him. "Have fun this evening."

Shaking his head, Coran took a moment to put his nose into armload of sweet-smelling flowers, breathing in their heavy scent. It was going to cling to him for quintants after this. Before he could continue his search, he was rushed by a group of Turems who thought he was carrying food. The plant-based people happily took the flowers out of his arms and headed out to the pavilion, munching on petals.

There wasn't much time left before the aerial show, and Alfor and Fala wanted Allura to be there to watch. However, finding one small princess in this crowd was a task for a tracking wavener, not an advisor.

Coran weaved around folks, heading for the bridge of the castle. It was possible that Allura had gone up there to be with her parents, though she often avoided the bridge when her parents were entertaining other nobles and important emissaries. He had no doubt that eventually she would grow into a capable diplomat, but for now she was a girl that preferred adventure and escapades to political intrigue.

"You sure do look stressed."

Turning, Coran found the blue paladin standing nearby, wearing full armor with his helmet tucked under his arm.

"Need some help?" Blaytz asked with a grin.

"That would be extremely appreciated, Blaytz," Coran said with a sigh, his hands on his hips. "But don't you need to go prepare for the exhibition?"

"Eh, Blue can wait, we're good at the last tick kind of thing." Blaytz walked over, people staring at him as he moved toward Coran. As one of the paladins, he was used to the attention and, unlike some of the others, he actually enjoyed it. He shot a smile over at a nearby person who swooned playfully before walking away, heading toward the exit. "What're you looking for?"

"More of a who this time," Coran said, "Princess Allura has run off, and no one's been able to confirm actually seeing her."

"Oh, that's not a problem. I know where she is."

"You do?!" Coran grabbed Blaytz by the shoulders and excitedly shook him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know that's who you were looking for," Blaytz said, his head bobbing back and forth. His ear-flaps lifted and fell. "You're making me dizzy."

"Sorry," Coran said, though he had a feeling Blaytz was faking. He was a fighter pilot, after all, so that was a very minor dose of shaking. He brushed at Blaytz's shoulders and then pointed a finger at him. "Where did you see her?"

"She was gathering a horde of other young ones and leading them out to the pavilion to, and I quote, 'secure the good seats.' So I imagine she's taken the group of them to the royal box."

Coran dropped his head forward, exasperated. After all this time, Allura was already out on the pavilion. Exactly where she was supposed to be.

Blaytz snorted and patted his arm. "Go relax, Coran. You're working too hard, and this is a happy occasion. If you don't need me, I should go meet up with the others. Otherwise Zarkon will give me one of his 'respect the lions, respect your position' lectures, which I do not need again."

"Yes, of course, go, go," Coran said, waving him off. The tall paladin saluted him before sauntering off toward the lift that would take him to the bridge.

It took Coran much less time to get back to the pavilion, especially since now he was going with the flow instead of against it. He maneuvered toward the royal box, already able to see that it was overflowing with Allura's posse of youngsters. The princess was standing next to her mother, and they were both engaged in talking to a small, striped Asar child. Coran waded through the youngsters, smiling as some of them grabbed at his uniform, until he was at the queen's side.

"Your majesty," he said, bowing to her, "I see you've already found the princess." He glanced down at Allura, who gave him an enormous innocent smile that melted any remaining agitation.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Coran," Queen Fala said, "I should have contacted you—"

Coran lifted his hands and politely waved off her apology. "You seem to have had your hands full."

As if on cue, the Asar child bounced up in between them and did a little jig. Their race did half of their talking through movements and dance, but Coran hadn't memorized their entire language. The child was saying something about lions and perhaps Voltron. On the queen's other side, Allura decided to practice her own Asarian and started dancing back, her movements a tad too flowy. However, she was making an effort and that was the important thing.

Queen Fala reached out to put a hand on Coran's arm. "Isn't your family here? They're probably looking for you."

"They're expecting me for the feast but not before then," Coran said. When he had joined the royal household, he had accepted that many of his duties would take him away from his family. He saw them, but the chances he had to visit with them were limited. Luckily, many of them were happy to visit him at the Castle, and the king and queen always allowed them to stay in the ship's many guest rooms. Still, there were times when Coran felt homesick, which was why his room was covered in holograms and pic-vids of his family members.

"You should surprise them," she suggested, smirking, "Go on, Coran."

"Say hello to Darce for me!" Allura said, looking up from her dance.

Coran laughed and bowed to the two royals before dashing off, eager to see his family. Many of them had made the trek to the capital from their home in Berusi, a beautiful city of rivers and waterfalls near the Indigo Mountain Range. He had told them where they should sit in the field beyond the castle so they would have a good view of Voltron's flight show. Rushing down from the pavilion and into the field, he ducked around groups and makeshift camps, looking for the Smythe family's sigil.

Spotting the blue and yellow flag flapping in the wind, Coran beamed. He slowed down, putting on a stately front and preparing to startle his family. Or at least that was the plan until he was tackled around the middle and forced to take a few steps back. He caught the small spritely creature who had latched onto him. "Darce!"

A grinning teal-freckled face looked up at him, her violet eyes shining with joy. "Uncle Coran!" His niece was all decked out in celebration fripperies and her normally untamed auburn hair was pulled back into intricate braids.

Lifting the moppet into his arms, he settled her onto his hip and tickled her. "How is my shining star?"

"I thought you weren't coming until later," she said, hugging his neck. "That's what Father said."

"He was sorely mistaken," Coran said, tsking as he walked toward the rest of his family.

"Coran!" his younger brother Everet yelled, waving his arms in the air before turning back to the rest of the clan, "Look, I found him."

"Stop taking credit, I think he found us."

"You're early!"

"Coran!"

"How is our favorite royal advisor? I do hope you're keeping the monarchy in line."

As Coran was engulfed by relatives, each of them wanting a hug or a handshake or to slap him on the back, the Voltron Lions roared into the sky, followed by the pop of celebratory firescreens and glittering cloud shimmer. They looped the castle, performing aerial feats, such as the Green Lion leap-frogging the blue one and Red and Yellow charging each other head on before spinning away at the last tick. He hugged Darce and let go of his burdens for the evening, sinking into the familiar comfort of his family.


End file.
